Hanoi (VNA) – World Water Day 2026 highlights the urgent need for more effective water governance linked to the promotion of a green economy, while placing gender equality at the centre of sustainable solutions aimed at safeguarding the lifeblood of human existence.
Against the backdrop of increasingly complex climate change and the rapid spread of digital transformation in line with the Politburo’s Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW on breakthroughs in science, technology, innovation and national digital transformation, water resources are assuming an ever more critical role in sustaining life, supporting socio-economic development and ensuring national security.
Recognising this importance, World Water Day 2026 underscores the pressing need for efficient water management combined with green economic development and gender equality as long-term solutions for protecting the “source of life”.
Water resources under mounting pressure
According to Chau Tran Vinh, Director General of the Department of Water Resources Management under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, water resources form the essential foundation for life, socio-economic growth and national security.
However, amid increasingly severe climate change, worsening pollution and the depletion of water sources, alongside rising demand and heavy dependence on transboundary water supplies, water governance now requires a unified national approach based on river basin management, ensuring fair and reasonable allocation while combining conservation with sustainable restoration.
Although Vietnam is generally regarded as a country with relatively abundant water resources, the reality is that these resources are facing growing pressure from both natural and human factors. Around 60% of the country’s total water supply depends on sources originating outside its borders, while only 40% is generated domestically.
Water pollution is emerging as another major concern. In many localities, the majority of domestic and industrial wastewater remains insufficiently treated before being discharged into the environment, causing serious degradation in the quality of rivers and canal systems.
These challenges underline the fact that ensuring water security and protecting this vital lifeline is no longer merely a matter of resource management, but one intrinsically linked to sustainable development and social equity.
“Investing in and raising awareness about water resources carries not only immediate significance but also long-term strategic value. When every citizen, particularly younger generations, fully understands the value of water and acts responsibly in its use, national water security will gradually be strengthened,” Vinh stressed.
Balancing interests and promoting equality
In 2026, the World Water Day on March 22 is being observed by the United Nations under the theme “Water and Gender”.
The theme highlights the close relationship between clean water, sanitation and gender equality, placing women and girls at the heart of solutions for water resource management.
In Vietnam, demand for water has tripled over the past five decades due to population growth, agricultural expansion, industrialisation and urbanisation. This trend has created an increasingly urgent need for more effective management and sustainable use of water resources.
Nguyen Minh Khuyen, Deputy Director General of the Department of Water Resources Management, noted that in many areas, particularly rural and mountainous regions, women and girls continue to bear primary responsibility for accessing water and are disproportionately affected when supplies become scarce or polluted.
He emphasised that, amid increasingly volatile water conditions, water regulation and distribution play a pivotal role in safeguarding water security, balancing the interests of sectors and regions, and maintaining flows for the ecological system.
With this approach, the sector’s priorities in the coming period will focus on improving management mechanisms and tools while strengthening the application of science and technology to enhance coordination, exploitation and sustainable use of water resources. The objective is to ensure a fair balance of interests among sectors and localities while maintaining minimum ecological flows across river basins.
These efforts are intended to align with the spirit of major Party resolutions, particularly the resolutions of the 14th National Party Congress and the Politburo’s Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW./.
